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Children, young people and families, Education

Educational psychology in an age of uncertainty

Irvine S. Gersch, winner of the Award for Distinguished Contributions to Professional Psychology 2002, on how to ensure that educational psychologists meet the needs of the country.

18 March 2004

My work over the past three decades has left me in no doubt that educational psychologists have a unique and useful contribution to make for children, families, schools, LEAs and communities. However, I do think that the current zeitgeist is prone to significant change, uncertainty and anxiety, and these factors need to inform future educational psychology practice. Predicting the future is always hazardous, and perhaps my words will return to haunt me. But in planning for the future, it is important that we aim to arrive at national plans based upon as much evidence as we can muster. This article will consider such evidence, along with what we can learn by looking to the past.

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